Geoffrey William Squire (28 May 1896 - 1989; London, UK)
The talented British artist Geoffrey Squire was born in Camberwell, South London and educated at Watford Grammar School and Regent Street Polytechnic in London.

Squire served in both Belgium and France during WWI, and worked as a commercial illustrator between the wars and was a member of the Society of Artists in Commerce.

He began working in British comics during the 1950s and 1960s. Early examples of his works are his covers for the Thriller Picture Library series between 1954-58 and his works for Playhour and Jack & Jill magazine are well documented and include Norman Gnome (1957-60) for Playhour, and Chalky the Blackboard Boy (1961-65) for Jack and Jill.

He was one of the main artists on Wink and Blink the Playful Puppies in 1956-58 but perennial favourites are the stories he drew featuring Norman Gnome, including The Story of Father Christmas that appeared in 1957, followed by Norman Gnome Gets Rich in 1959, When Norman Gnome Became a King in 1960, and Norman the Very Important Gnome (1960)

Squire's Norman Gnome character is humourous, irreverent, whimsical and satirical, and appeals to readers of all ages. These panels were fully painted, funny and filled with little details that make them worth going back to a second and third time. Squire's work is characterized by vibrant colors and detailed illustrations.
Source: Bear Alley Blog; Illustration Art Gallery